Would appreciate your recommendation for a brand that you use and like. thanks
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I have the one Rob Cosman has recently started carrying. You can get it for less on the Brownells website.
https://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/2015/06/06/seeing-better-for-woodworking-a-guide-choosing-headband-magnifiers/
I use the cheap one Lee Valley sells. I've thought about buying the nicer one that Stew Mac sells but I haven't bit the bullet. I use my visor almost daily, so it'd be worth the investment. Instead, I cut the back strap off of the Lee Valley one and added elastic across the back. I added fabric to the front of visor where it hits my forehead. These two upgrades have made a huge difference for me.
Oh, when you get one, don't be surprised if you never use anything more than the 1x or 1.5x. I tried using the higher magnification lenses and it meant getting closer to the work than I could functionally do. I thought the lenses were just garbage until I talked to a friend who delicately explained I was dumb and that's the way optics work.
The 1.5x stays in my visor and once I got used to it I find myself using them all the time.
The magnification in my safety glasses has crept up over the years. I need 1.5 to count my fingers these days.
Is there any advantages of the head band over glasses?
Well, besides looking cool (what else is there?), it's easier to flip them up and down when needed and some have lights. While I don't think lights make everything better, they make these better.
Ben what brand is that?
Like I said, whatever Lee Valley sells. It's a cheap one you can find in many many places.
yeah, that does make you look cool.
adding suspenders will enhance the 'coolness'.
So I have been looking at the headsets dentists wear. Unfortunately, all the manufactures seem to require you have a rep come visit. I have been too scared to call for fear of appearing to be a super dork. For now I just use a headlamp and the readers that are collapse at the nose piece with magnets.
If anyone uses a dentist headset, please tell me how to get one.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p4432023.m570.l1313&_nkw=dental+magnifier&_sacat=0
Amazon sells a selection of different dental loupes. I have had good success with the ones at the URL below, which can be mounted on your own prescription glasses as well as the safety glasses they come with. The great advantage is you don't have to bring the work closer - mine are set to work 420 mm from my eyes, so I am well away from chemicals or sharp spinning cutters on machinery.
https://www.amazon.ca/Magnifier-Binocular-Surgical-Surgery-Operation/dp/B0B4NJ9YDB/ref=sr_1_1
You could also consider a magnifying lamp with articulating arms to put it at the right place. I actually use a Lee Valley magnifier similar to the one Ben shows (mine is all black) https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/home/office/magnifiers/110117-led-headband-magnifier?item=99W9732 AND the magnifying lamp (there are a million of them out there with LED light, with a large range in price/quality) together for some tasks (like sharpening saws with super fine teeth). Like Ben, I have found that the higher magnifying lenses with the head band has a very short focal point (the higher the magnification, the closer you need to be). The combination of a low magnifying lens (like the 1.5) plus the lamp works great.